Vettel Leads F1 Drivers’ Standing After Canadian GP Win

Sebastian Vettel gets favorable odds from some sportsbooks after winning Canadian GP 2018 and overtaking Lewis Hamilton in this season’s F1 Drivers’ Standing.

Some bookmakers still favor Hamilton despite finishing fifth in the last race due to engine failure. Meanwhile, the Canadian GP last week was good for the Red Bull drivers, with Max Verstappen getting another podium finish this season and Daniel Ricciardo placing fourth.

Will the four-time World Champion Mercedes driver gain more points at the Circuit Paul Ricard or will Vettel widen the point gap in the Drivers’ Standing next race? Should Red Bull punters expect either or both drivers to get to the podium in France?

Vettel Dominates the Canadian GP

After the conclusion of the Canadian GP, sportsbooks were reminded why Vettel is Hamilton’s most powerful rival in the previous GP. NetBet now favors the German racer for the next race with 2.50 odds, but other bookmakers are still torn between Vettel and Hamilton, who both have 2.62 odds on Bet365.

Vettel’s dominance in the Canadian GP is due to the smooth performance of his Ferrari that has a new engine. Its superior car performance allowed Vettel not only to start at pole position but also to eventually finish the race with only one pit stop.

The Ferrari driver also showcased his ice-cold concentration and hardened driving skills in the last race. He had total control of the pace all throughout, leaving others the difficulty of overtaking him. There was even an incident at the start of the 69th lap wherein Winnie Harlow waved the checkered flag one lap too early. But this did not deter Vettel as he finished the last lap without any problems.

Hamilton’s Engine Problem

When Hamilton’s engine started losing power earlier in the last race, the Canadian GP turned from a race to damage management for the four-time World Champion. Hamilton did all he could to not lose significant number of points last week.

Hamilton said:

“I am so happy that I finished. From the start I was down on power, the engine was over temperature and I thought it was going to fail. I could have lost a lot more points today. I hope we don’t go to two engines next year. That is ridiculous. That a season could be swayed through reliability, no one wants to see that, no one wants to be cheated of that. The sport is going in the wrong direction.”

Mercedes had plans to bring in a new engine for Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas for the previous race, but the team moved the engine upgrade schedule for the French GP because of ‘quality issue’.

While Vettel regained his moment this season, some sportsbooks still favor Hamilton to win the French GP. William Hill, for instance, gives the Mercedes driver 2.62 odds to win and 2.75 odds.

Verstappen Raced Without Support Group

For the first time in Verstappen’s career, he entered the Canadian GP without his support group. The Red Bull driver usually travels with his family like his father Jos Verstappen, a former F1 driver, or his manager Raymond Vermeulan. In the last race, Verstappen traveled to Montreal alone.

Even without Verstappen’s support group, he still managed to drive cleanly and fast throughout the Canadian GP. There were times when Verstappen’s tires lightly touched the tires of Bottas’ car, but the Red Bull driver managed to traverse the demanding Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve without any mistakes or other incidents. Verstappen finished third for the second time this season, right before his teammate Ricciardo who placed fourth.

Christian Horner, the boss of Red Bull Racing team, said:

“His approach has been slightly different. He’s just been here on his own. It’s just something different. Whether it contributed is impossible to say. It’s something that was discussed with him, so it was something agreed between him and the team. We just wanted to try it this weekend. I am not saying it has contributed in any way, it was just something a little bit different. He has been very immersed in everything the team’s been doing this weekend. And he has done a super job, so all credit to him for putting together a very strong weekend. You don’t want to defuse that. That’s part of what makes him so exciting. He had a very clean weekend. I’m sure it’ll give him a bunch of confidence heading into the next batch of races.”

The Red Bull drivers continue to be favorites closest to Vettel and Hamilton in most sportsbooks. Both Bet365 and William Hill even give Verstappen as well as Ricciardo 9.00 odds to win the next GP.

As Vettel takes the lead in the Drivers’ Standing this season, the pressure is on for Hamilton to gain more points than his rival in the French GP. Meanwhile, Verstappen’s third podium may give him the confidence to continue driving cleanly and finish better than third in the next race. If the red bull cars are run smoothly, punters can also expect Ricciardo to be a serious threat this Sunday.